Guest boundsy Posted September 10, 2010 Share Posted September 10, 2010 Thanks for that southerngent, thats a big help. So does this mean that i don't have to do the vetassess or anything else before i go over? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest southerngent Posted September 10, 2010 Share Posted September 10, 2010 Thanks for that southerngent, thats a big help. So does this mean that i don't have to do the vetassess or anything else before i go over? Most peeps here do vetassess or TRA prior as its required for permanent migration. As your planning on going on a temp visa (working) its not required (they assume ur be fruit picking or something). I believe the TRA`s requirement for an ARTC is that your onshore and they wont give you the cert if your outside aus, although some have had it posted to friends. I would give them a call and have a chat if you wish to apply before arrival. vetassess is the offical offshore route for regular sparks and you could do this to get ahead of the game but at greater cost. I don`t have experiance of the vetassess route but others on here do. either way peer can help or give advice and they can be your fastest option if you dont mind heading south. Peer Veet > Training > Overseas Enquiry Look on this page for the download info pack as pros and cons of each route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lcys2460 Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 Anyone else waiting for ARTC assessment (the bit before applying for your licence and after getting your visa). Ours was received 29 days ago and still tracking as awaiting assessment. Most frustrating as need the licence to work. Has anyone chased them before or know the processing times at the moment? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest southerngent Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 Mine took 21 days, applied 13/8/10 granted 03/09/10 so yours is overdue. maybe worth a call incase they've been trying to contact you with a query or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imapla Posted September 19, 2010 Share Posted September 19, 2010 HI Appliance Repair Tech wanted to purchase owner operator electrical business on Sunshine Coast, Queensland. Great place to bring up your family - ideal for husband and wife team. PM for more info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the coyne family Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 Hi guys, Just wondering if anyone can answer this one. My oh has been offered employer sponsorship in coffs harbour just wondering what kind of wages he should expect to be offered. Also the company want him to so a solar power installation and design ticket. Does anyone know were this can be done i can't seem to find it on the tafe web site. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest english reject Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 He will have to do his A licence first ( look on British expats working abroad by profession.) ER Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aaron25 Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Once you get out to oz as an electrician i understand you have to do a night course to get your A-License,how long does this take?Also what are the wages for someone who is unlicensed?Just trying to get an idea so i will know how much i will need to save to live on until i get licensed. Any info would be great,thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WarrenG Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Wow! This thread (started by James I think) is still going! :swoon: I thought I would just update a little of my experience since I remained in the UK and still have an electrical contracting business. My personal experience took me as far as booking the Vetassess practical assessment at Blackburn College having flown through the paperwork assessment with no problem. I remember the hand written comment stating 'excellent applicant'. So I had the practical booked and couldn't wait to get it knocked out of the way to get on with the visa process. It was at this point that I decided, having heard and read so many different stories about what you have to do when you get in Oz that I contacted Vetassess again in the hope of clarifying things. I have friends living in Oz and the feedback they were giving me about sparks and the lack of work was looking pretty grim. Families selling up in the UK and having to live on their savings in Oz. Lucky for me I sweet talked the girl at Vetassess into sending me the information that they send to successful candidates AFTER passing the practical assessment in advance. To my horror this pdf file was explaining the steps you need to gain your qualification in Oz. :arghh: From memory it stated that you needed to do gap training, which looked by the hours like a standard college course length in their version of electro technical technology. If lucky to obtain a job you would be classed as a trainee (i.e. paid a trainee) and would have to be supervised. You would have to carry a log book and get it signed by your supervisor. Now I'm sorry if this sounds negative but anyone who needs to keep a roof over their head and feed the kids isn't going to do it on a trainee wage. Even in Oz! Obtaining a sparky job as a trainee when there are licensed Ozzy sparks already and who don't need supervising seemed to be story from the feedback I was hearing from my friends in Oz. The thought of having to retrain put the icing on the cake for me eventually and I cancelled my place at Blackburn college losing some money for cancellation. My reason for posting is that I was going through some of my old favourites and came across this thread which still appears to be as confused as it was the last time I posted in 2009. My conclusion about Oz is that all the processes to get into Oz are just a gravy train of additional revenue for the country. Every route seems to be cloaked until you have paid your money out at different stages. :skeptical: Again, apologies if this has come across negative, I just wanted to point out the importance of full fact finding before spending out. A consultation for me was that I didn't pay a migration agent the £5k plus they were quoting to get me to Oz first. They could have done it alright but it still wouldn't have solved the work situation out. Lucky for me I didn't lose too much money. I seriously wish everyone the very best who goes through all these hoops to get into Oz. You deserve it! :wink: Regards Warren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electrical guy Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 My conclusion about Oz is that all the processes to get into Oz are just a gravy train of additional revenue for the country. Every route seems to be cloaked until you have paid your money out at different stages definitely it is ,they are exploding people dreams to fed up their asylum seekers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest southerngent Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 My Story So Far (Queensland) : I took the TRA/ARTC Route Once you arrive in qld you can apply for an ARTC ( expect it to take a month) When you have your artc apply for a training licence ( about 3 weeks) Enrol in tafe ( had to wait 2 weeks because of half term) Tafe course is about six modules. They give you the module books to take away and study and when ur ready pop in and sit the exam for that module. I believe one is a written exam and the final is a practical test and inspect, the rest multi choice. you could do this in 2 weeks if your on the ball. (for me there seems no rush, other life issues take priority) Cost of tafe is just under $1,000 all in. Now the tricky stuff. Get a Job! No company will employ you and risk a fine if you have no licence, they just ignore you. Your licence although a training licence is as ELECTRICAL MECHANIC and you can work as such! The condition of your licence is for your work to be inspected and your log book (from tafe) signed each day/job by another licence holder. Thats it! The licence is valid for 1 year but you are expected to complete tafe and log book within 6 months. If you complete within the 6 months there is no further licence fee payable. If you go beyond the 6 months ESO gets twichy thinky your trying to bend the system to work. For those concerned about being paid as an apprentice - http://www.wageline.qld.gov.au/aol/summary_docs/current/electrical1.pdf The award for a 4 year Apprentice is 90% the full rate. and by this stage your just be grateful for some cash and a sig in ur log book. All I need now is a job and some peace from the kids to study. sods law comes into play here ( there was loads of jobs localy until my licence came through and since then ziltch ) Another note on the modules - the module books from tafe are pre AS/NZS 3000:2007 so the answers in the back are the wrong regs no.s so ive been cross referencing with a old regs pdf I have. Its a real pain and u expect for $1k the module books would be current. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest morris5 Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 This is my first post and i hope my experience will help others. We arrived in Victoria March 2010. I went to Energy Safe Victoria in Melbourne and presented my Vettesses assessment and was immediately given my supervised workers licenced number. I then went to the TRA office (Melbourne) to obtain my Electrical Mechanic Certificate. This enabled me to work for a contractor - started working the following week for a contractor for $30 an hour - April 2010 i started my Licenced Electricians Course (practical, theory, safe working practices) it was 1 day a week for 8 weeks at the TAFE College and cost $1200. The week the course ended i started my licence electricians assessment, the first week i took the practical exam, the second week i took the safe working practices and the third week i took the theory and found out within a couple of weeks that i had passed. Presented all results and paperwork to Energy Safe Victoria and was awarded A Grade Electricians Licence, I then registered my business name and applied for my contractors licenced - received that a week later and started my own electrical business the same day. Whole process took me 4 months. Most electrical contractors in Victoria are charging between $70 and $80 dollars an hour. There are plenty of contractors in Victoria looking for good reliable labour and while you are starting your own business you can contract to local business and everyone is more than happy to help. In my opinion the LEA course is invaluable and you need experience with an Australia contractor as the way things are done here are very different. Once you have an Electrical Inspector on board they are more than happy to advise. If i can help anyone im happy for you to PM me or reply to this thread. The whole process can be very frustrating but can be achieved within 4 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest southerngent Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 This is my first post and i hope my experience will help others. We arrived in Victoria March 2010. I went to Energy Safe Victoria in Melbourne and presented my Vettesses assessment and was immediately given my supervised workers licenced number. I then went to the TRA office (Melbourne) to obtain my Electrical Mechanic Certificate. This enabled me to work for a contractor - started working the following week for a contractor for $30 an hour - April 2010 i started my Licenced Electricians Course (practical, theory, safe working practices) it was 1 day a week for 8 weeks at the TAFE College and cost $1200. The week the course ended i started my licence electricians assessment, the first week i took the practical exam, the second week i took the safe working practices and the third week i took the theory and found out within a couple of weeks that i had passed. Presented all results and paperwork to Energy Safe Victoria and was awarded A Grade Electricians Licence, I then registered my business name and applied for my contractors licenced - received that a week later and started my own electrical business the same day. Whole process took me 4 months. Most electrical contractors in Victoria are charging between $70 and $80 dollars an hour. There are plenty of contractors in Victoria looking for good reliable labour and while you are starting your own business you can contract to local business and everyone is more than happy to help. In my opinion the LEA course is invaluable and you need experience with an Australia contractor as the way things are done here are very different. Once you have an Electrical Inspector on board they are more than happy to advise. If i can help anyone im happy for you to PM me or reply to this thread. The whole process can be very frustrating but can be achieved within 4 months. I Agree its not all bad and although am not working yet there is work there its just getting yourself known. Each state varies a little but its only a short term hassle getting a full licence. Lets face it its better for the industry to have licencing to rule out the monkeys. Am happy to work for a little less whilst i pick out the subtle differences. (which there is many) once your onshore take the time to be a little more laid back (aussie passtime) am off to the beach tommorrow to do my work books in peace away from the kids and with a valid excuse to spend the day in the sun:biggrin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest morris5 Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 It is not as easy to get a job without a licence but there are contractors who will employ you without one even tho they will be fined if caught but that is highly unlikely unless an accident happens. At the end of the day you have to weigh this up. Take time to look over past exam papers which are available on the internet as the actual exam paper i had (apart from the wording and figures) were identical to a paper on the internet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & Steph Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 I've managed to pick up casual work with a local electrician, Tue to Thu. He pays me just over $15 ph and takes tax off for me. I took a on-line test for my white card (H & S) cost= $50. I've looked at www.workplace.gov.au and to apply for ARTC is $300 with a trade test costing $270. After that I will have to work 12 mths supervised until I can get my license. This is my situation anyway...... and regarding work, I'm really enjoying it! Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest morris5 Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Were you a qualified electrician in England? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & Steph Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Yes, just gave the guy a copy of my qualifications. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest morris5 Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 If you were qualified in England and had sufficient experience - the TRA will award you an Electrical Mechanic Certificate rather than an Electrical Fitter Certificate - this enables you to do your Licenced Electricians Exam. If they give you a fitters certificate you have to get a years experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & Steph Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Thanks for the info, i'll look into that - sounds a better option. Instead of just reading info, i'll take some action and contact TRA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest morris5 Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 You have to be quite forceful with the TRA and get them to make it clear what you need to provide. The problem i had to start with was everytime i rung them i got a different person so got a different anwser - in the end i drove to the office in Melbourne (which they werent that impressed with) and handed in all my evidence, certificates, references etc. They have a meeting once a month - they will discuss weather you should be awarded an electrical mechanic or electrical fitter. The TRA also said if i was doing the Vetesses i wouldnt be able to go the TRA route so i told them i wasnt doing Vetesses. Just ask if i can help you with anything else - having just been through it i know how frustrating it can be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & Steph Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Thanks Morris5, looks like I have a daunting task ahead of me. I did a 2 yr course at college (2360), whilst working as a trainee electrician, then got made redundant as soon as I qualified. Then I worked for Mr Electric for 3 months then took a year out travelling and working in France as a campsite courier. Then when i returned to the UK, I started teaching part-time at the college (electrical Installation) and helped another tutor out with small jobs. It's amazing what I learnt as a teacher, especially the theory side and motor controls, insp & testing etc. Also they put me through my 16th/17th edition wiring regs, didn't quite get my 2391 but passed the theory side. So my career has been a bit patchy and it could be difficult getting references. As they say " don't give up"!! Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest James.S Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 Hello all, seem's like a very very long time since I have posted on this thread since starting it way back when..! I am soon, (hopefully the beginning of 2011) going to be opening a regional retail outlet for the solar company that I work for and will therefore be requiring electricians... If anyone is looking for work, or planning to be doing so towards the beginning of next year and will be in northern NSW, ideally around the Byronshire area please get in touch by sending me a PM or just replying to this thread. I will need fully licensed sparks, ideally with CEC install and eventually design and install accreditation, I will also need ASP’s. If anyone is new over from the UK and on restricted licenses then I would consider them for trade’s assistant roles to start with.. Please get in touch, all the best; James :jimlad: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esthapan Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 hi James, im very happy to read ur post, though it is after a long gap. after reading ur post i felt that ur roots are going deeply in oz soil. its a good idea to start a solar power based buisness as renewable energy is the promise of the future. wish u all success and early disposal of ur 175 application. since Electricians are in cat3 (new SOL) u may get a visa soon. as of now DIAC is proceessing Oct 2008 applications (new SOL). regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ciz Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 Hi All, I have just come across this site. My partner is a qualified Irish electrician, he finished his apprenticeship in 2004. We have been living in sydney since march on a 417 visa, my partners job are now sponsoring him so we have just lodged our 457 visa which fingers crossed will be approved in a couple of weeks. My partner wants to get his NSW electrical license, i have been reading back through this form and I just want to enquire is the nest way for him to do this through the SA route? I am hoping to get sponsored in my position too so that he can go defacto on mine and change jobs as he is quite low paid in current job, which is why having license would make it easier to find other work. Any advice welcome! Thanks a mil, Ciara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bryanplunkett Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 Hi all, This might be of use to any sparkys not heading to oz for 6 months or a year. I am an Irish qualified sparky living and working in NZ. I have done my regs and have an NZ electrical license. This is the same as holding an interstate oz license and just require filling in a form to transfer it. The good thing about the kiwi license is you only need to sit the regs exam and a 3 or 4 day practical assessment..No theory if you hold an Irish or UK license. I also believe you can do some or all of the course in the UK through chandlerconsulting@xtra.co.nz Not fully sure how much of it you can do though. Also the as/nz 3000 wiring rules have changed and will be implemented from Nov 1st Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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